Treatment of finely-divided coal



ii -stewed Nov. 3, 1925.

ETED Swim winmereiwmtwim srmwmne AND enthuse nutter LAINID, ASSIGNORS T0 MINERALS SEFAZRATIGN EIGHTH .ili ll l'fi litlihlii" tlfltlfii filtih'ltlifil i on new YORK, n. Y.

TREATMJISH U15 FINELELDI'VIZDETR GQAL.

To all whom it may concern,"

Be it known thatwe, WILLIAM WARWICK EiTENNING and WALTER. HENRY BEASLEY,

both subjects of the King of England, r'esiding at London .in =England,- have invented certain new and useful Im rovei'uents in the Treatment of Finely-Divided Goal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to the production of coal briquettes, One-of the objects of this in zention is to facilitate the production of coal briquettes from flotation concentrates, aithough the invention isalso applicable to production of coal briquettes from other eosl concentrates or from finely divided coal.

in British Patent No. 155875 a process described in which the coal concentrate or finely divided coal suspended in Water is subjected to agitation (preferably with aeration) with a liquefied blndiug medium, such as melted pitch, with or Without tar, resin and the like, r'vhereby thecoul )art.icles be come coated with the binding medium and .flccculated so as to be readily separable from the water, "We make no claim to anything described or claimed in that patent.

investigations have been carried out on the ilciltn liliikpf an aqueous suspension of finely divided coal or coal concentrates with the addition of'a bindin medium, such as pin-lute ascertain whet 161 agglonie ation can be improv particularly by eliminatiug' air and also by heating the suspension in facilitate the distribution of the bindin medium, such as pitch, over the surfaces or the coal particles, and the results of these imi'astigations have been most striking.

i'iccording to this invention a step in the process of producing briquettes from finely divided coal or from coal concentrates, is

characterized by the fact that the finely (1i ided cool suspended in water and mixed with a binding medium (such as finely d1- "vided pitch, with or without an added agent such as naphthalene or tar, which causes the pitch, when softened, to spread over the surfeces of the coal particles) is subjected to such conditions, as for example to heat, thet the hinder will flow and will coat the coal neizticles and to such agitation as will eliu1- Application filed February 15, 1932. Serial lilo. 538,216.

inate air to ensur the agglom ra ion of the coal particie's b "ore press diff: gloinerate into briquettes In certain cases the agents ernnioyed or agglomeration may be strong hinders r lead. to the eventual production at): briquettes, but as one main object in View is the elimination Water in Wet eon ceutrete it may be sufricientji to employ other uggioinereting agents which are not generally renowned as bind rs. in

these cases also, to ide ate handi treat-ed coal may be pressed. into which although reietively solt are 1y coherent and are herein. referred. briquettes. I

lhirticulerly successful results i obtained by the use of-E a agitation without ct etien i. Wh. particles er "eiids' .e caused. to theiutcri r s with the result that they together and form iug Form of 'ita'tioii Wh the mauui'e 511M} teiu ly be secured in e horizon rel or the equivalent.

This invention includes a. proce iug' coal briquettes from fin it or from coal concentrates, in wit to ly divided noel, suspended in We with a binding medium t: 1 scribed (preferably by agitation. panied by aeration to ensure the nation oi the binding medium, the suspension is heated substa boiling point and subjected to u roih of agitation to ensure the aggle the coal particles, which are i e iuto briquettes. Preferably, accord' this invention, the egglomcrete is i lift)" duced into the'briquetting press While is still hot, so that the binding medium is still soft. Further, according to this in vention, the uggiomerete after being submitted to the rolling form. of agi ation such other ag itatiou us will eiii is introduced into the briquetting pro: no further preparation than the r draining the now readily separz-iftie ter,

The tiuei up; vessel. to

flit

list? iii-vice... ccei under According to this invention the rolling agitation may be effected in a drum rotnt on at substantially horizontal axis. with or without rods therein to knead or roll th agglomcraiin all particles. 0 ion will best be understood by the lesc Jiion of actual tests.

boinc iovvell Duflryn coal crushed to pass th inch aperture (i. e. to 5 mesh I. M. Ml), was suljcctcd to notation treatmentin. a minerals separation circulating" machine, (such as is shown in Figure 3 of Lyster Patcut ITo. 1.2035772 of October 31, 1916) with the addition of the equivalent of %rd lb. of crcsol per ton. of coal and rd lb. 01 kerosene oil per ton oi coal. The resulting out contained about equal parts of coal and Water. This was intrmlluxu'i into :1 minv eparation agitation vessel, where the pulp was quite mobile and was a iatcd vvith aeration while there was added a quantitv oi pitch ground lo minus 100 mesh l'. .31., amounting to FFiv on the dry coal, also a '(g'lii dliifif in? Ol'lllllitl gas tar, anuiuningto 2% on the dry coal. Thev \vholc pulp was then intrmluced into a hori zoutal cylinder with annular eiuhplatcs (Similar to a notary kiln). 'l'wo long cylindrical rods were put in the bottom of. he cylinder, andithc.cylinder was rotated on, its own axis over a burner so to heat the puip. The agitation was" such as to avoid aeratiou-on the contrary any air eutangled among the particles appeared to be eliminated. Act a temperature of about C. the agglomeration of the coated particles; was very noticeable. 'The whole pulp was heated up to boiling point, the rolling agi tation continuing. iii'tcr this operation a sample of the pulp was placed on a Cl) The inver mesh. screen, and it was noticed that the ugglomerat d coal remained on the screen,

and the vratcr which passed through the screen was perfectly clear; indeed, the agglomeration was such that the Water very readil drained away from. the agglomen ate Whereas before this treatment of heating: and itatien for elimination of aim the Water: in this test was '10 clear'end could not be readily separated from the coal and binding media.

111 a further test on this (seal the results were obtained when edding'ti e pitch in molten condition duringvthe preliminary agitation with aeration instead of as a finely ground powder.

he agglomerated material, While still hot, was introduced in suitable quantities into n briqnetting press, satisfactory lriquettes were very readily made there from.-

In the example given above the gas tar may conveniently of naphthalene or a mixture of tar end naphthalene. The proportions of these ingrcdicuts may be varied; good results have been obtained using 0.05% of naphthalene and lliSf of tar (reckoning on the dry coal).

It is an advantage of this invention that the briquetting of the ugglomerate can be done Without any special step of eliminnb ing moisture; indeed, in the case of flotation concentrates, the complete treatment of the lloat to produce the finished briquettc does not imiolve an drying operation.

What we claim as our invention and dcsire to secure as Letters Patent is l. A process for the treatment of finely divided coal wherein the coal is suspended in water, mixed with a bindingmedium and subjected to heat and to agitation without aeration to ensure ti agglomeration of the coal particles,

Z. A prori'ess l'or lhc trcntincni of liuclv divided coal wherein the coal is suspended in watcigmixed with a binding medium and subjected to hunt and tea rolling form of agitation lo clii'ninatc ai .and to ensure the agglomeration of the coal particles,

3. i process for the treatment of finely divided coal in which the coal, suspended in water. is mixed with a bindingmedium in such manner as to disseminate the binding the suspension, and the 2% of be replaced by 1% medium throughout suspension is hcatcd substantially to boiling point and subjected to a rolling form of agitation without aeration to ensure the agglonicration of the coal particles.

process of making coal briquettes from finely divided coal in which the coal, suspended in water, is mixed with a binding medium in such manner as to disseminate the binding medium tlu'ouglumt the suspension and the suspension is healed substantially to boiling point: and subjected to a rolling form of agitation without aeration to ensure the agglomeration of the coal particles and the agglomeratcs are then formed into briqucttcsv 5. A. process for the treatment of finely divided coal wherein the coal is suspended in Water, a binding medium is disseminated throughout the suspension y means of agitation' accompanied by aeration, and the susemma 7 tit jeeted to heat I and to agitatihn without aeration, to ensure the agglomeration oi the coal. particles, and'the agglomerates are then termed into briquettes. v I "i A process for the treatment of finely divided coal wherein the coal is suspended iii water and mixed with pitch and subjected to heat and to. agitation without aerationtoensure the agglomeration of thev coal par ticies.

. 8. A. process for thetreatment of gfinjeiy divided coal wherein the coal is suspended in water and mixed with pitch together with an agent which causes the pitch wh'eirsofl teued Spread over the surfaces-ofthe' coal v particlesund subjected to heat and'to ugita tion Without aeration to ensure the agglom ei'atioii of, the coal partic1es.

9 A process for the-treatment of finely divided coal wherein the coal is suspended in water and mixed with pitch together with naphthalene and subjected to heat and t0 agitation without ae- -atlon to ensure the agglcmeration ofthe coal particles.

10. A process for the treatment of finely divided. coal wherein the coal is suspended in water and .mixed with finely divided pitch and subjected toheat and to agitation without aeration to ensure the agglomeration of the coal particles! ii. A process of making coal briquettes tronifinely divided coal in which the coal is suspended in water, is mixed with abind ing mediuni as herein described by agitation accompanied by aeration and then the suspension 18 heatedsubstantially, to boiling point and subjected to a rolling form oif. agitation without aeration to ensure the agglomeration ofthe coal particles and then the agglomeratee are formed into briquettes."

1.2. A process for the treatment of finely divided coal. \\'l13l8111 the coal 1s suspended in wh ter tc form a mobile pulp and mixed with a binding medium and subjected to heat and tofagitatiou without'aeratioii to ensure the 'egglemeretiou cf the coat particles.

. 13., The process or making coei briquettes from finely divided ccel wherein the coal suspended in we er to form a mobile pulp, is mixed witlia binding 'mecliumae' hereih describedhy agitation accompanied by v aeration and is euheequeutly heated in a drum rotating oh euhstehtiaily horizontal axis to ensure agglomeration e? the coat parthe binder will dew and coat the coal partides and further subjecting the pulp contaming the coated coat particles to egit-atien witheut aeration to produce aggleme ates cf the coated coal. particles substantially :tree from air, and then feruiing the aggloirierates, intc briquettes,

16" The process of making coal briquettes which consists in agitating a heated coal pulp with a binder so that the binder wiil coat the coal particles, and further subject inp; the pulp containing the coated coal particles to agitation without aeration to produce agglomerates of the coated coal particles substantially free "ii-em ciryand then forming the agglomerates into briquettee, In testimony where i we have signed our names to this specification.

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